“The University of Sydney (USYD) reported a security breach involving a third-party service provider that exposed the personal data of recent international applicants.
Notably, this prestigious public university, established in 1850, hosts nearly 70,000 students and employs 8,500 academic and administrative staff, earning recognition as one of Australia’s top educational institutions.
In the breach notification, the University stated that it had limited impact; furthermore, the initial investigation uncovered no evidence of harm to local students, staff, or alumni. According to the University of Sydney, this issue affected only a single platform, leaving other University systems untouched. Importantly, there’s no sign of anyone misusing personal information.
It remains unclear whether the intruder intentionally timed the attack or acted opportunistically. However, the University commits to contacting affected individuals and providing the necessary support to reduce exposure risk.
Regarding the specific data accessed, the University of Sydney is still determining it. Consequently, they advise international applicants to check their website for guidance.
For inquiries or reporting suspicious communications, such as phishing attempts, students should promptly email ict.support@sydney.edu.au.
Remarkably, the public disclosure lacks details about the timing of the breach or which third-party service suffered the compromise. Nonetheless, there are no reports of disruptions to the University of Sydney’s systems at present. Nevertheless, students are strongly encouraged to remain vigilant and exercise caution when dealing with unsolicited communications.
In recent news, the University of Michigan temporarily halted its critical operational systems due to a severe cybersecurity incident. Additionally, in June, the University of Manchester experienced a data breach where hackers accessed an unspecified amount of data from its networks. Furthermore, in early 2023, ransomware groups targeted and disrupted operations at the Queensland University of Technology, the Open University of Cyprus, and the Bluefield University.
